


Fairytale of New York

by Immortalpen



Series: Reylo parallel universe collection [6]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben fancies Rey, British Rey, F/M, Leia has a talk show, P.A Rey, Rey hates Ben, Snowed In, Spitfire Rey, Studio head Ben, What else is new?, can't beat em, christmas eve loneliness, ergo lots of swearing, frenemies smut, join em
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 19:12:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16980201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immortalpen/pseuds/Immortalpen
Summary: Snowed in on Christmas Eve with her arch nemesis - what's the worst that could happen?Christmas themed love/hate smutInspired by Pogues - Fairytale of New York.





	Fairytale of New York

 

 

_You're a bum_   
_You're a punk_   
_You're an old slut on junk_

Fairytale of New York

The Pogue with Kirsty MacColl

 

 

 

“And you waited for Christmas eve to deliver the news… that’s cruel Ben, even for you”

“You would know all about cruelty, mother. What I know, I learned from you” Kylo Ren snapped his briefcase open, and pulled his laptop from it, laying it a little too harshly on the shining conference room table. He refused to meet his mother’s furious gaze, unwilling to see the rage and disappointment directed at him. Unable to stomach the hurt.

After a moment, she got up and stormed out, slamming the door on the way.

He let out a long, agonised breath in the silence that followed her dramatic exit, a weight shifting on his shoulders.

He glanced outside the window of the conference room, the gaudy Christmas decorations outside were tugging a heavy migraine into place between his temples.

His mother’s talk show, Live, Love, Laugh with Leia, had been on the air since before he was born. It had started, 35 years ago, as a small show, on an independent channel, doing what Leia loved, talking to real people, and sharing hope and inspiration. It had been geared toward women, but it had many male fans as well. Over the years, it had supported people living their real lives all over the country, and even the world. Fashion, work, parenthood and budgeting, everything had been taken in, and it had been taken on by a top network, First Order and his mother, Leia Organa Solo had been a star.

Now, the network didn’t like Leia’s direction as she grew older, and found herself unsatisfied with the way the world was becoming. More and more political segments were finding their way into air time, more activists with arresting opinions were sharing their thoughts freely. The network, and Kylo’s boss, Snoke, did not like it, or more importantly, he did not like Leia’s political leanings, and the influence she wielded. Men in power didn’t like to feel ridiculed by opinionated, intelligent women, never mind made fun of in kitchens around the world, by wives, mothers and stay at home dads.

And it didn’t matter that Kylo himself was just as liberal as his mother, just as dedicated to the ideas that she believed in. It was his job to tell his mother that her show was being cancelled, after a 35 year run. On Christmas eve.

He let out a long, shuddering breath, and turned to his computer. Outside, Live, Love, Laugh with Leia, or LLL, was shooting its last holiday episode, and the studio set up certainly reflected it. Red and green hung all around, twinkle lights and shiny paper covered every surface, and you could hardly turn around without hitting a bauble encrusted tree. Even the air smelled like mulled wine and gingerbread.

He had less than pleasant memories of Christmas, in fact, this one would be the first Christmas in 10 years he would even see his mother on or around the 25th. He let out a long, measured breath, trying to centre and calm his roiling emotions with breathing exercises his anger management coach had given him.

He had just about managed to bring his stress level out of the red zone, when the door to the conference room banged open. He had barely looked up from his laptop when the lid slammed closed, just short of his fingers.

“Who the bloody hell do you think you are?” The other reason he was so reluctant to come here today, was standing before him, in all her furious glory. Arms crossed over her slim chest, her foot tapping impatiently, Rey Niima made a wrenching sight, when her wrath was directed at you.

“Well? Answer me, Solo” she demanded. He swallowed hard, and shifted his gaze from her.

“I don’t go by that anymore”

“I’m not calling you by the emo pet name your sick fuck boss gave you” she said flatly, and he flushed, partly in embarrassment, partly in anger.

“I asked you a question – Ben. Who do you think you are to come here, on Christmas, and upset your mother like that? After not speaking to her for over a year?” She said, stepping closer to him. He pushed back from the table and stood, frustration flowing through his veins.

“Did you plan it like that on purpose, do you sit around and think up ways to hurt women who love you – or I should say the one woman who loves you. I’m sure it’s just your mother” she was saying, as she advanced on him around the conference table. His patience snapped at her comment, too uncomfortably close to the truth, and he turned to face her, so suddenly, she bumped into his crossed arms, and fell backwards. He reached out to grab her, and got her by the wrist, as she twisted away from him, staggering back.

“Don’t touch me. I’d rather break my arse that have you touch me” she whipped out, anger unbroken.

“I’m sure that can be arranged” he ground out, the sudden and unexpected words leaving his lips before he could stop himself. She stilled as his lewd innuendo broke through her anger. She blinked at him, her hands curling into fists at her side. She was still as beautiful as ever, he noted, almost resentfully. Her long, tanned neck and slim shoulders, her high cheek-boned face, and large, clear eyes. Her mouth tightened as he looked her up and down. And then did it again.

In her furious entry he had somehow missed her outfit. Red and white stripped tights disappeared into the shortest dark green shorts he had ever seen, while suspenders held her embroidered tunic to her top half. Her feet were in long, green velvet boots, and her hair was done up in three cute little buns. He couldn’t stop staring.

“What the fuck are you wearing?” he finally managed to get out.

“Why today?” she said, ignoring his question, her hazel eyes staring into his with intensity. He thought of telling her that he had put it off, until he hadn’t been able to anymore. He thought about telling her how he had tried again and again to go over the figures with Snoke, and show how much money LLL still made them. In the end, he simply shrugged. Rey Niima would never believe a word he said. Why bother justifying himself.

“Why not? It’s just a work day, like any other. I’m at work, this is my job… presumably you are working too” he said, eyeing her outfit once more. She let out a strangled half laugh, turning her face away from him, as he saw her work for calm. He knew she was, as it was the same way he looked, when he did his breathing exercises. She let out a long breath, her shoulders finally moving from their position by her ears.

“I guess it was my mistake, to expect anything different from you. It’s not just any day, it’s Christmas Eve, and most people are celebrating it with friends and family. Most people are happy, and trying to be kind, and compassionate. Spread a little joy.” She said, turning back to him finally, and stepping toward him, closing the distance between them.

“You really are a Grinch, aren’t you? Or Scrooge… ” she said, looking up and down his tailored black suit, with black shirt and tie.

“Whatever you say. Humbug” he said.

“Well, I don’t know what you remember about the story, but Scrooge found out his future was bleak. A lifetime of miserly isolation and loneliness, a sad, fearful man who died alone, without a soul to shed a tear over his passing. He wasn’t too late to change it though.”

“Rather too sentimental for my tastes” he said coldly. She looked at him a moment longer, before stepping back.

“Stay in here until Leia is gone, I don’t want you upsetting her anymore. You’ve done enough today. Well done” she said, turning toward the door, and long legged stride carrying her from him quickly. The door slammed shut with her departure, and he was left looking at the space she had filled, her words a whirlwind in his head.

 

* * *

 

Rey watched Leia pull herself together, always in awe of the grave and fortitude of her idol. She left for make-up, and Rey tidied up her office, binning the tissues that had been used to stem the flow of the elder woman’s tears.

She was still furious at Ben and had to keep stopping herself from storming back to the conference room and berating him some more. She stopped and looked at the snow falling steadily outside. It was really coming down now, and it couldn’t be more festive, she thought wistfully for a moment. A picture perfect white Christmas. Kids sledding, and families opening presents at home.

Christmas was never an easy time of year for her, but this one was shaping up to be especially bad. Out of her apartment in a couple of days time, her roommates were getting engaged and they wanted to live just the two of them. Rey could completely understand it, there was nothing to be upset about, but finding a new place wasn’t going to be fun. Especially since it looked like she would soon be out of a job as well.  She didn’t have any family in the US, didn’t have any family, at all really, but that was always harder at Christmas. Her friends would always invite her, but she was reaching the age where it was awkward, to always be the non-family member tagging along. She knew they would never agree with that assessment, but she felt it anyway.

She thought of Ben Solo again, and felt a fresh wave of anger and resentment brush over her. Some people had the loveliest family in the world, a childhood of wealth and privilege, and two parents who could still stand each other, and yet, they didn’t appreciate one moment of it. They threw it away, like it was nothing. Everything Rey dreamed of having, and never could, Ben Solo scorned.

She had been Leia’s P.A for 5 years, and an intern on the set before that. Over time, as Rey had become closer to Leia, and her husband Han, she had gotten to know of their son Ben, who worked for First Order, the production company, and was estranged from them. She had seen him once, at a New Year’s party of his mothers, long before they had stopped speaking altogether. She didn’t know what she had expected from the black sheep of the family, but it wasn’t the tall, imposing man Ben had turned out to be. Confident and whip smart, he was disturbingly intense and distractingly good looking. It was more than his face and build though, it was his charisma. All the easy-going charm of his father, and the serious engaging intensity of his mother, all rolled into one. He had turned those very charms on her at that first meeting, and before she had even known who he was, made her feel felt like Cinderella at her first ball, meeting a tuxedoed Prince Charming. But, she reminded herself sternly, when they had kissed, and Leia had found them, he had turned into a frog. The worst, selfish, spoiled toad she’d ever met.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and Rey opened it to a message from Han, well, from his assistant, with a link to a drop box. She excitedly opened it, and found a treasure trove of pictures. She hurried to her laptop, and started to copy the files.

She had decided on a personal project for Leia’s present this year. She was digitizing all their old photos, and making most of them into a beautiful scrapbook for her. She could have paid more and had it done professionally, but she thought Leia would appreciate the hand-made touch and thoughtfulness. She had exacting standards when it came to craft projects, and Rey had spent enough time working with content creators for LLL to know how to put together a stunning scrapbook.

She glanced at the clock. She still had time, just, if she hurried, to get everything included.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Rey rotated her shoulders, and cracked her neck. Her back ached with the strain of sitting hunched over her desk for so long. She looked at the time, surprised to see it was a little before 6 already. She knew filming had wrapped, and Leia had headed home. She had come to say goodbye to Rey, and wish her a merry Christmas. She would see her at the New Years party. That was when Rey would give her the book, she decided. It still wasn’t quite right, and she needed it to be perfect.

The office felt quiet, and she knew that several people had headed home early, with it being Christmas Eve. There had been a snow warning on the news, and that seemed to have sent the rest out, she realised, as she walked out onto the main floor of the studio. It was dark, they must have forgotten she was still there, something that happened regularly, given that she stayed later than most, more often than anyone. She didn’t mind. Others had families to hurry home for, bedtime stories to read and bath times to supervise. She had a bottle of white wine, a microwave meal and her favourite shows to watch. It wasn’t terrible, and most nights she looked forward to it, but there was no pressing time limit, to when she could start her evening.

She glanced to the conference room, and saw with surprise that the light was still on. She hadn’t told Ben when Leia left, thinking he could sweat it out until he decided to venture out himself. It seemed he had taken her orders to heart, for once.

She went to the door and opened it. He was typing on his computer, and looked up, startled to see her.

“Leia’s gone. Feel free to get lost anytime” she said. He shut the lid on his laptop, his dark eyes always looking at her too knowingly, like they could see beyond her bravado and sarcasm. Like they could see her, when no one else could.

“Thanks for letting me know” he said, but his voice was devoid of emotion, as his eyes shifted to the window.

“She left hours ago actually, the weather is meant to be getting bad” Rey said, as Ben stood up and walked to the window and looked down. He swore softly.

“What is it?”

“Did you park out back? The snow’s so thick I can’t make out my car, or anything for that matter” Rey refrained from telling him that she took the bus, and shrugged.

“Sucks for you. Merry Christmas Ebenezer” she tossed over her shoulder, as she made her way back to her office. She started to pack up her things, and put her coat on, belting the puffy jacket firmly around her waist. She pulled on her hat and gloves, and wound her scarf around her neck several times. She hoped Ben had gone already, interacting with him always put her in a terrible mood. A part of her wondered how she would feel about him if they hadn’t met the way they had but she brushed that wonder aside. He was a selfish, ungrateful brat. Nothing could change that.

 

* * *

 

Snow soaked up his trouser legs, as Ben took another step forward, the blowing snow driving against his face, making it hard to see. This was futile, he already knew it, and regardless, he pushed on into the blizzard. The thought of having to spend one more minute in Rey’s company, her hazel eyes shooting daggers at him, her laughing mouth downturned for once, just at the sight of him, was worse than attempting to force his body through three feet of snow. His heavy steps bore him downward each time, as he fought to bring his leg back up to step again. His bag was a dragging weight behind him, and he could already feel cold ice liquid seeping through his clothes not only his trousers, but coat and jacket too.

The parking lot seemed to be moving further and further away, and there was no way he would be able to driving on the roads, where he could already see the snow was piling up. Christmas eve at 7 pm, there was hardly a queue of snowploughs eager to get out and start clearing the roads, though some poor souls would have to do it. He turned to look back at the door, seeing his deep footprints already filling with new snow. The door had opened, and he could see Rey’s diminutive figure filling the space, staring out at him.

“It’s too bad! Don’t come out” he shouted to her.

“I have to get home” she argued, stepping out into the blizzard. He cursed, as he started back toward her.

“There’s no way – don’t get wet and cold.” He called to her in strangled pants as he slogged through the snow, trying to find his old steps. He could see Rey doing the same, though she had to raise her legs significantly higher to reach them. It was at one point, when her leg was raised, her hands balancing in the air, that she lost her balance, and disappeared.

“Rey!” he shouted, and pushed himself on, faster than before, forcing his legs through the snow. His gloves were soaked through, as he pulled back the snow to help him propel forward.

“Rey?” he called, as he came to where she had fallen. She was flat on the ground, slipping and sliding as she attempted to gain enough purchase to get her feet under her. He appeared beside her, just as she gave up trying, and relaxed to the ground with a groan.

She opened her eyes, and looked up at him. There was so much in that look. Frustration at being stuck in the snow, anger at being stuck with him, and maybe even a little relief that she wasn’t alone. Then, suddenly shocking him, and proving to him all over again, that she really was the most unpredictable person he had ever met, she smiled, and started to flap her arms and legs on the ground.

“What are you doing?” he shouted, over the howling wind.

“Making a snow angel” she shouted back. He leaned away, perplexed. There was something unrestrained about Rey, untouched, an innocence of someone who wants to try everything and leave nothing in her wake. Such enthusiasm, that it made his own isolation feel more pointed.

“Let’s get inside. We aren’t going anywhere tonight” he said finally. Her smile fell away bit by bit, as she attempted to get up again. She slipped and fell, before he could reach for her, and shouted obscenities into the white air.

“Take my hand” he said, and watched as she set her jaw mulishly, and pushed his hand aside, and attempted to gain her feet alone again. She almost made it that time, but just before her weight balanced out, slipped and fell to the side. She gasped this time as she made contact with the hard ice underneath, and he lost patience. He reached down and grabbed her beneath her arms, and pulled her up, dragging her harshly against his body, before setting her on her feet. Her hands reached out to grab his lapels, as her annoyed face tilted up toward him.

“Let go of me, I don’t need your help” she said, trying to wriggle out his grip. He held on, his grip as unmoveable as stone.

“You’re going to hurt yourself” he growled as she almost managed to pull them both over.

“I don’t need you to rescue me!” she shouted in his face.

“I could let you go right now, and watch you realise how wrong you are – but I don’t want to see you get hypothermia.”

“Why not? That sounds right up your alley” Rey snorted, but her struggles did lessen somewhat. Ben shivered, as Rey stopped resisting him, he became aware of just how cold he was. He could barely feel his feet anymore.

“We have to get inside. Now” he said.

“No, I’m going home” with a frustrated sigh, he bent down, and quickly hefted Rey’s slight weight over his shoulder, into a fireman’s lift. Her furious shriek was drowned out by the weather, but he could feel her pounding on his back as he started to trudge toward the doors of the studio. Her fists hammered into his shoulders, again and again, and the very last of his patience finally snapped. He brought his hand up to meet her backside in a stinging smack. Most of it was absorbed by her coat, but he could feel her jerk against him in shock.

“Calm down, princess, you can thank me once we get inside” he said, and to his surprise, she stopped pounding on him, and lay still over him.

He reached the doors, feeling the last of his energy desert him. Fumbling at the handle, he realised Rey must have locked it behind her on the way out.

“Keys!” he shouted toward her. She wiggled in response, clearly indicating that she wanted to get down. He thought about refusing her silent request, and digging through her pocket himself, but knew he had little excuse for it, now they were back at the door.

He carefully lowered her to the ground, and she immediately turned toward the door, her hands digging in her pockets. She pulled out the key, and stuck it in the lock. Her hands were shaking so badly, it took her three attempts to line it up.

Finally, the door swung in, and they both staggered inside. Their mixed breathing, heavy and ragged was the only noise as Rey pulled the door shut behind them, a heavy resounding clang ringing through the still air. Ben bent over, bracing his hands on his knees, as he tried to catch his breath. The warm air in the building was a relief, and a pain, as it burned his lungs and cheeks. He looked over to Rey, to find her huddled over herself similarly.

“Are you alright?” he managed to get out, before she straightened, and stormed toward him. Before he could guess her intention, a hard slap sounded across his face. Rey bit off a curse as she cradled her cold fingers against her chest.

“You are not to touch me – I gave you no permission to touch me” she said to him. He stared at her incredulously.  
“So, I was to let you die in the snow, 6 meters from the studio?”

“Don’t pretend you care about me. I know who you are, I know what you are.” She stormed at him.

“You didn’t seem to care who I was when we met… and you certainly didn’t seem to care if I touched you. In fact, I remember well how you begged me to-“ her hand had risen again, but this time, he grabbed her wrist, arresting it’s flight, before she touched him.

“The first one was a freebie, the next one will cost you” he warned.

“And what about smacking my ass?” she said indignantly.

“If you want another one of those… you just need to ask… we have all night” he said, a smirk dispelling the tension between them.


End file.
